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The staple native grain of Europe is wheat, rice in Asia, and corn in the Americas. At least that's the historical context. Today, the reason why America produ

The staple native grain of Europe is wheat, rice in Asia, and corn in the Americas. At least that's the historical context. Today, the reason why America produces so much corn is because of government subsidies, and so she can always feed herself if WWIII ever breaks out and all the borders shut down (unlike many modern first world nations).

unmole 5y ago
I'm not too familiar with other places but historically rice wasn't the staple in South Asia. Even in South India, it was something that rich people ate. As a result of government policies, rice monoculture ended up replacing the the diversity of grains that people actually consumed.
- whimsicalism 5y ago
  East Asia and Southeast Asia, not South Asia. It wasn't the only one, but along with wheat and millet, poor Chinese were definitely eating rice.
  - unmole 5y ago
    > poor Chinese were definitely eating rice. I don't know recent it is but isn't there a rice-wheat divide in China too?
eru 5y ago
As if the farmland would just go away, if the subsidies would go away? > The staple native grain of Europe is wheat, rice in Asia, and corn in the Americas. Not sure what you mean by native? The predecessor of wheat was native to some parts of the Middle East, but until recently you couldn't even grow that stuff well in eg most parts of Germany. (Hence Germany's enduring love affair with rye bread.) Rice only grows in some parts of Asia. (Eg Northern China relies on other grains.) All those crops are human interventions in their wide spread, they aren't native to entire continents.
- X6S1x6Okd1st 5y ago
  Land isn't the only part of the equation.
  - eru 5y ago
    Yes. But without corn subsidies they would just use the farmland to grow something else.
- wil421 5y ago
  Maybe Germany had an issue but Wikipedia says: > In the late Roman Empire in Europe the most important crops were bread wheat in Italy and barley in northern Europe and the Balkans. Near the Mediterranean Sea viticulture and olives were important. Rye and oats were only slowly becoming major crops.[1] The article does mention Rye was important and the most common crop in the Northernmost regions and in France. Due to its winter tolerance. See Crops[1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agriculture_in_the_Middle_Ages https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agriculture_in_the_Middle_Ag...
  - eru 5y ago
    You can grow wheat in Germany, but it's not as good for wheat as Italy. So eg you can't really economically grow the durum wheat you need for (non-egg) pasta. Yes, barley and rye grow just fine. Potatoes, too. But they are a New World import. Germans love potatoes. (Just like Chinese cuisine loves peanuts. Another New World import.) And, of course, Germany has different regions. Some parts are warm enough for wine, others not so much.
- RobertoG 5y ago
  >>"until recently you couldn't even grow that stuff well in eg most parts of Germany" He said Europe, not Germany specifically. https://www.world-foodhistory.com/2018/10/history-of-wheat-in-roman-empire.html https://www.world-foodhistory.com/2018/10/history-of-wheat-i...
  - eru 5y ago

unmole 5y ago

I'm not too familiar with other places but historically rice wasn't the staple in South Asia. Even in South India, it was something that rich people ate. As a result of government policies, rice monoculture ended up replacing the the diversity of grains that people actually consumed.

whimsicalism 5y ago
East Asia and Southeast Asia, not South Asia. It wasn't the only one, but along with wheat and millet, poor Chinese were definitely eating rice.
- unmole 5y ago
  > poor Chinese were definitely eating rice. I don't know recent it is but isn't there a rice-wheat divide in China too?

eru 5y ago

As if the farmland would just go away, if the subsidies would go away? > The staple native grain of Europe is wheat, rice in Asia, and corn in the Americas. Not sure what you mean by native? The predecessor of wheat was native to some parts of the Middle East, but until recently you couldn't even grow that stuff well in eg most parts of Germany. (Hence Germany's enduring love affair with rye bread.) Rice only grows in some parts of Asia. (Eg Northern China relies on other grains.) All those crops are human interventions in their wide spread, they aren't native to entire continents.

X6S1x6Okd1st 5y ago
Land isn't the only part of the equation.
- eru 5y ago
  Yes. But without corn subsidies they would just use the farmland to grow something else.
wil421 5y ago
Maybe Germany had an issue but Wikipedia says: > In the late Roman Empire in Europe the most important crops were bread wheat in Italy and barley in northern Europe and the Balkans. Near the Mediterranean Sea viticulture and olives were important. Rye and oats were only slowly becoming major crops.[1] The article does mention Rye was important and the most common crop in the Northernmost regions and in France. Due to its winter tolerance. See Crops[1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agriculture_in_the_Middle_Ages https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agriculture_in_the_Middle_Ag...
- eru 5y ago
  You can grow wheat in Germany, but it's not as good for wheat as Italy. So eg you can't really economically grow the durum wheat you need for (non-egg) pasta. Yes, barley and rye grow just fine. Potatoes, too. But they are a New World import. Germans love potatoes. (Just like Chinese cuisine loves peanuts. Another New World import.) And, of course, Germany has different regions. Some parts are warm enough for wine, others not so much.
RobertoG 5y ago
>>"until recently you couldn't even grow that stuff well in eg most parts of Germany" He said Europe, not Germany specifically. https://www.world-foodhistory.com/2018/10/history-of-wheat-in-roman-empire.html https://www.world-foodhistory.com/2018/10/history-of-wheat-i...
- eru 5y ago